maynard



No. 623,|2|. A Panama-Apr. n, |899. Fi T. MAYNARD.

LAWN MDWER.

(Application filed .T une B, 1896.)

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No. 623,|2I. A Patented Apr. Il, |899. F. T. MAYNAB.

LAWN MWER.

(Application led June 6, 1896.) Udo Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheei 2- l UNITED STATES PATENT Orricn.

FRDERICK T. MAYNARD, OF DETROIT, MIGl-IIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE DETROIT LA`WN MOIVER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

LAWN-MOWER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 623,121, dated April 11, 1899.

Application filed June 6, 1896. Serial No. 594,475. (No model.) A

To all whom, it may concern: Y Be it known that LFREDERICK TMAYNARD,

' a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lawn-Mowers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention consists in the construction of a lawn-mower, the invention consisting particularly in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts, all as vmore fully hereinafter described.

The invention relates to that class of lawnmowers in which there is a middle or intermediate drive connection for the rotary cutter-head. In this class of lawn-mowers efforts have been made to devise a drive-gear which was somewhat reasonable in cost of manufacture and which would stand the rough usage to which such mowers are subjected. Efforts have also been made to devise a supporting-frame for such mowers which would be simple and strong and reasonably inexpensive. As far as I have been able to learn until my construction was devised, after much expense and many months of experiment and labor, such efforts were unsuccessful and a marketable merchantable machine had not been devised.

In the drawings, Figure l is a top plan view of my improved lawn-mower, partly in seotion and showing the cap or cover of the rear gear-case removed. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through this central gear-Casin g. Fig.

3 is a cross-section through the drive-shaft Fig. ,il is a section on line a: tof Fig. 3.'

tion. The object of making this, portion A of sheet metal is to make as thin a side as possible opposite the cutters, so as to enable the machine to cut as near as possible to a building, sidewalk, or similar object. The rear portion I preferably cast, and, as shown, it consists of the two straight portions B and O, substantially parallel and connected by the inwardly-extending connecting portion D. The rear end of this side bar is hollow or recessed, as plainly shown at the upper part of Fig. l and in Fig. 6, and around the outer edge of this recessed or hollow portion is a circular flange E. Around this circular flange fits theinwardly-extending iiange F of the ground-wheels G. These ground-wheels are provided with `a hub H, which iits over the trunnions I, projecting from the recessed portion ofthe side bar and preferably tubular,

as shown, a bolt I', passing through this hollow trunnion,'holding a Washer I2 at its outer Y' end to prevent the detachment of the groundwheel. This construction of the rear portion of the side frame or bar I consider of considerable importance. It strengthens the disk or plate which covers the inner face of the gear-wheel without adding materially to the Weight. By having the trunnion II cast from the inner face of this hollow portion and the ange E formed on its outer face I construct a long bearing for the hub of .the groundwheel and yet get ground-wheels of comparatively narrow tread and light weight.

The two side bars l connect together by a connecting member J, preferably having the flanges K at each end to give a wide bearing to truss the connection against torsional or twisting movements of the frame. T he member .I is constructed to support the driveshaft L and isl preferably as shown-that is, hollow-having formed, preferably integral therewith, at its middle portion the enlargement M, which forms a half of the central gear-casing on the drive-shaft.

M is a complementary cap for this gearcasing, which may have lateral extensions, if desired, covering a portion of the drive-shaft, as shown. The drive-shaft L has secured to it the bevel gear-wheel N, that drive-shaft being passed through this gear-wheel and IOO its bearing in the member. J, with eachend projecting beyond the side bars of the frame.

Beside the gear-wheel N and supported on the d rive-shaft is the block O. This block is provided with a shaft-bearing I), in which the rear end of the crank-shaft P' engages, this crank-shaft being provided with a bevelpinion P2 in a recess or aperture Ps-in the block O. This block with the side of the gear-case forms the step on either side of the gear N and forms the means for preventing end movement of the shaft L.

The drive-shaft L on the ends which project is provided, preferably, on opposite sides with recesses Q. These recesses terminate at one end in a shoulder d and have the inclined inner face b. In this recess I place rollers c, which are of a diameter greater than the depth of the recess.

R are pinions sleeved over the end of the drive-shaft and have within a` groove d, in which the rollers c are adapted to engage, and bearings c, preferably on each side of the groove d on the shaft. End motion of the rollers is prevented by the shoulders or sides of the grooves. This construction enables me to utilize the steel of the shaft as a part of the clutch and therefore gives it long life. It also makes a very compact construction which is not liable to get out of order and very greatly cheapens the structure over a device in which an additional bearing or sleeve is placed over the shaft in which to form the grooves for the rollers to run. The inner face of the groove d is preferably formed polygonal, as shown at h in Fig. 3. The operation of this clutch, I think, will be well understood without further description.

S is a handle connected to the rear of the flanges E, as shown.

l is the cutter-shaft, the ends of which are supported in the boxes 2 on the inner side of the frame.

3 are two cutter-heads with the blades staggered andtheir inner ends overlapping in such a manner that the crank 4 on the shaft P/ is adapted to have its opening turned to the overlapping end, as shown in Fig. l. There is a suitable bevel gear-wheel 5 on the cuttershaft and the bevel gear-wheel 6 on the end of the crank-shaft P', the whole being inclosed in a gear-casing 7 between the ends of the cutter-heads. These parts are of known and usual construction.

8 is a bar connecting the forward end of the frame and supporting the usual stationary knife.

9 is a ground-wheel adjustably supported in rear of the cutters to determine the height of the cut, these parts being of knownl and usual construction in the type of machine on which mine is an improvement.

S are rollers journaled in the side bars of the frame, with a sector projecting slightly outside the sides, so that in running the machine closely beside a house, sidewalk, or similar place the side of the bars will not be scraped and marred and so the mower may be pushed along with one of these rollers in contact with such wall.

By the words an intermediate connection I mean a drive connection applied to the cutter intermediate its ends arranged in a corresponding position on the frame.

W'hat I claim as my invention isl. In a lawn-mower having an intermediate drive connection, a frame comprising side plates supporting the ground-wheels, a rigid connecting member between the plates forming a housing for the drive-shaft.

2. In a lawn-mower having an intermediate drive connection for its rotary cutter, of a frame comprising two side plates extending to and supporting the ground-wheels, a rigid tubular connecting member between the side plates supporting the drive-shaft and a gear` case formed as a part of said connecting member.

3. The combination of a shaft having formed therein a recess extending from the end of the shaft inward and having an inclined bottom face and a shoulder at one side, a roller in said recess, a wheel having a recess for and inclosing the roller, and a bearing portion beside the recess adapted to bear on the shaft.

4. The combination of a shaft having therein a recess extending from the end of the shaft inward,said recess having an inclined bottom face and a shoulder at one side', a roller in said recess, an inclosing wheel having cylindrical bearings bearing on the shaft and having intermediate said bearings recesses provided with polygonal bearing-faces for the rollers, for the purpose described.

5. The combination of a shaft member having a recess therein, a wheel member journaled on said shaft having a recess opposite the recess in the shaft, a roller in one recess and projecting into the other recess, one of said recesses being extended longitudinally to the end of the member in which it is formed, whereby the wheel can be removed longitudinally from the shaft.

6. The combination of a shaft having a recess therein extending from one end of the shaft inward, a wheel journaled on said shaft having a recess opposite the recess in the shaft, and a roller located in said recesses.

7. In a lawn-mower, the combination of a cutter, ground-wheels, side plates supported by the ground-wheels, drive mechanisms between the wheels and cutter, and a connecting member between the side plates forming a housing for a portion of said drive mechanism.

8. In aVlawn-mower, the combination of a frame comprising side bars each consisting of a front and rear end section in dierent vertical planes, and an inclined connecting section extending inwardly toward the rear end sections, the rear end section being hollow or recessed, a circular ilange on the outer face of each of the said rear end sections, ground- IOO IIO

wheels inolosing the circular flanges, a hollow connecting member between the rear sections of the side bars, a cutter, and a drive-shaft for the cutter in said hollow member, substantially as and for the purpose described.

9. In a lawn-mower, the combination of a frame comprising side bars each having a front and rear end section in different vertical planes and a connecting section extending inwardly from the front to the rear end section, and a hollow member connecting the side bars between the rear sections thereof forming a housing, a rotary cutter-head between the forward end sections, drive means therefor located in said housing, and groundwheels beside the rear side-bar sections.

lO. In a lawn-mower, the combination of side bars of the frame having thin metal forward plate-sections, and rear sections situated nearer together than said forward platesections for supporting the ground-wheels, ground-\vheels, said forward plate-sections having recesses therein, ears projecting inside the plate-sections of the side bars above and below said recesses, vertical rollers journaled in said ears and projecting through said recesses beyond the louter faces of the side bars, for the purpose described. v

Il. The combination of the drive-shaft and its supporting-bearing and gear-case, of the bevel-gear N secured to the drive-shaft in the gear-case, block O having a bearing engaging the drive-shaft beside the gear-wheel N a shaft bearing at right angles to the shaft L in the block O in which the crank-shaft P' is j ournaled,the block O havingarecess through which the shaft P .passes and the bevel-pinion secured to this shaft within the recess.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK T. MAYNARD. Witnesses:

M. B. ODOGHERTY, GTTo F. BARTHEL. 

